1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a water ingress detection system suitable for use in indicating the presence of water under insulation on pipework and vessels as a result of ingress from the outside.
2. Description of Related Art
Installations such as oil refineries, chemical manufacturing plant etc, often have large amounts of insulated pipework and vessels which are exposed to the elements. Over a period of time the insulation casing may deteriorate and/or suffer physical damage which can allow rainwater etc to penetrate the casing and wet the pipework or vessels. This can lead to corrosion if not detected early enough and in certain industries this can be extremely hazardous. This means that companies and resources have to be put in place to inspect insulated pipework and vessels regularly to confirm it is free of corrosion, or replace pipework or vessels which have been corroded. It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimise one or more of the above disadvantages.
It has now been found that the presence of water under insulation may be detected and indicated in a simple, reliable and economic manner, by visual means, with an indicator comprising a deflector plate, which is flush with the bottom of the pipe or vessel and inside the insulation, which channels the water down a collector tube to an indication chamber which is outside the insulation. The indication may either be a mechanical indication or electronic indication or both together.